Image Source: Mirror
The Crooked House—a self-described “quirky higgledy-piggledy old world pub”—was originally built as a farmhouse in 1765. But after a local mining operation in the 1800s, the building sank into the earth on one end. One side of the building is now a whopping four feet lower than the other.
Image Source: The Crooked House
The building was understandably condemned in the 1940s, but was rescued with a few well-placed girders and buttresses, courtesy of Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries (now Marston’s). Today, The Crooked House serves local ales and rustic food. A pub is a natural fit for a tilted building—though the bartenders might be tired of the “tipsy pub” jokes by now.
Image Source: Mirror
Image Source: Mirror
The pub’s manager, Dan Lewis, admits that the pub can be disorienting even before the drinks are downed: “”When I first came in,” he jokes, “I didn’t have a drink because I felt so dizzy.”
Even the tables and countertop aren’t as stable as they might seem—coins and drinks alike might slide away if not watched carefully, making for a unique experience that attracts international attention.
“We get visitors come from all over the world—as far as Japan and Australia—and they just can’t believe it,” says Lewis. “They’re convinced it was designed like this but it certainly isn’t.”
For the price of a pint, you too can enjoy the optical illusions of higgledy-piggledy architecture. Just keep a firm grip on your glass.
Image Source: Mirror
Image Source: Mirror
